1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a loading floor for a vehicle with spacing element and loading apparatus for a vehicle according to the teachings of the detailed description of the invention that follows
2. Prior Art
Various pull-out loading floors and loading apparatuses are known from the state of the art. A pull-out loading surface for station wagons is known from DE-OS 23 972, wherein guide rails are provisioned on the loading surface of the vehicle. The pull-out loading surface is mounted on these guide rails and can be moved on the guide rails on rollers. The items to be loaded can then be set onto the extended loading surface and pushed into the loading area of the vehicle.
A loading apparatus for personal vehicles or transportation vehicles is known from DE 296 08 955 U1. This loading apparatus consists of a guide element that is mounted on the floor of the loading area of the vehicle. A movable loading plate is located on the guide element and can be moved from a transportation position inside the loading area into a loading or unloading position, in which the loading plate is located outside of the vehicle, behind the rear of the vehicle.
A loading apparatus on an automobile with a swinging rear hatch is known from DE 196 19 126 A1. Fastened guide rails that run along the length of the vehicle are provisioned on both sides of the floor of the rear loading area, which can be closed by the rear hatch of the vehicle, Loading requires that the rear hatch is moved to the back into a horizontal loading position along a lower axis that runs traverse to the vehicle.
A loading floor for the loading area of a vehicle is known from DE 197 49 158 C2. The loading floor is mounted on rollers so that it can be moved, and can be partially pulled out of the loading area approximately parallel to the vehicle. The loading floor exhibits a crumple zone, provisioned traverse to the length of the car, in order to improve crash behavior.
A pull-out loading floor for a vehicle is known from DE 197 31 324 A1, which can be moved by means of rollers along support rails. The support rails are connected to the vehicle body such that their height can be adjusted. The height adjustment occurs by means of two parallelogram steering devices, with the help of an adjustment cylinder.
A further loading floor is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,755, which can be pulled out of the loading area on guide rails approximately parallel to the vehicle floor. Further state of the art is know from DE 100 54 572 A1, DE 198 15 466 A1, DE 196 06 196 A1 and DE 298 10 132 U.
Pull-out loading floors and loading apparatuses of the type mentioned allow for simplified loading and unloading of the vehicle by setting the freight on the rolling loading floor. A load placed onto the extended loading floor can be pushed, along with the loading floor, into the interior of the vehicle without requiring much force. However, a common disadvantage of the previously known loading floors and loading apparatuses is that, due to the pull-out mechanism for the loading floor, a considerable amount of loading area is lost. A further disadvantage is the construction costs required for such known loading floors and loading apparatuses.
The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an improved loading apparatus for a vehicle that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and provides the advantages set forth below.
The task of the invention is fulfilled by the characteristics of the specific embodiments disclosed herein and the teachings thereof as expressed in the appended claims.
A particular advantage of the invention is that the usable loading area is only decreased minimally by the loading floor and the corresponding loading apparatus. A further advantage is that a loading apparatus, according to the invention, can be realized with only a small number of construction elements. Such an apparatus can therefore be produced inexpensively and is simultaneously especially reliable.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the loading floor is carried by a spacing element, the lower end of which engages a guide linkage, located on the side of the loading floor across from the rear bench of the vehicle. At its other end the loading floor is supported by a loading edge, which is angled into the loading area. In order to pull or extend the loading floor out of the loading area, the lower end of the spacing element moves through the guide linkage in the pull-out or extension direction, while the other end of the loading floor moves upwards along the slant of the loading edge.
The first section of the guide linkage runs parallel to the diagonal of the loading edge, and the second section that runs horizontally. In order to pull out the loading floor, the lower end of the spacing element is first moved along the first diagonal, upwards running section of the guide linkage, while the other end of the loading floor travels a parallel path along the slant of the loading edge. The length of the first section of the guide linkage is provisioned such that, as soon as the lower end of the spacing element has arrived at the end of the first section of the guide linkage, the end part of the loading floor has reached the upper end of the loading edge. Therefore the loading floor is raised in a diagonal motion and is simultaneously moved a stretch in the pull-out or extension direction. It is preferable that the loading floor remains horizontal, that is, parallel to the floor of the vehicle.
After this diagonal upward motion, the lower end of the spacing element moves along the second section of the guide linkage, which runs horizontally. In this process, the lower side of the loading floor slides over the loading edge, so that the loading floor is moved out of the loading area in a horizontal position.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, an arm is provisioned on both sides of the loading floor. A guide rod, which engages the guide linkage in the sidewalls of the loading area, is fastened to the lower ends of these arms. This provides a spacing element for carrying the loading floor.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, the guide linkage is configured as a U-profile, preferably a brass U-profile.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, roll or slide elements are provisioned on the lower end of the spacing element for engaging the guide linkage. These roll or slide elements can also simultaneously serve to provide power operation. For example, rollers can be added to the lower end of the spacing element that are, for example, driven by a gearwheel that engages a rack in the first section of the guide linkage.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, the drive mechanism is provisioned on the underside of the loading floor. Alternatively, the drive mechanism is provisioned under the loading edge. The drive can be mechanical, electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, the drive force is transferred from the drive mechanism to the lower end of the spacing element by means of a transitory device. This can, for example, be a cord that is fastened to the lower end of the spacing element, and which runs along the guide linkage. This is preferably an endless cord (belt) that runs back to the drive mechanism, which is located under the loading edge, through the vehicle floor. By changing the drive direction the loading floor can be moved out as well as in.
According to a further preferred embodiment form, a cable is used as the transitory element. This is preferably a pressure-resilient cable so that pressure for moving the loading floor inwards is transferred to the lower end of the spacing element.
According to a further preferred embodiment form, a belt, for example a V-belt, toothed belt or a chain, is used as the transitory element.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, guide elements are located on the end region of the loading floor and/or on the load edge, which serve to move the loading floor in or out along the slant of the loading edge. For this purpose the slant of the loading edge has one or multiple recesses, which are engaged by corresponding elements on the face of the loading floor.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, roll or slide elements are provisioned on the face of the loading floor and/or on the slant of the loading edge in order to facilitate the movement of the loading floor along the slant and to reduce the resultant friction.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, roll or slide elements are provisioned on the upper side of the loading edge in order to facilitate the horizontal movement of the loading floor out of the loading area of the vehicle by reducing the resultant friction between the lower side of the loading floor and the upper side of the loading edge.
According to a further preferred embodiment form of the invention, roll or slide elements are provisioned on the side walls of the loading area in order to guide the outward or inward movement of the loading floor, and in particular to prevent that the loading floor becomes skewed as it moves. For this purpose, spring-loaded slide parts, for example, are provisioned on the sidewalls along the path of the loading floor when it is moved in or out.